Wimpole Hall heads the list around Orwell
There is no place to visit inside Orwell’s built-up area; there are 6 within 5 km of its edge. The mix takes in 2 attractions, a castle and a park or estate. Of the places on our list, 3 are looked after by the National Trust. A drive of 12 km brings you to Fitzwilliam Museum.
Where to start near Orwell
After Wimpole Hall, look out for 2 attractions, a park or estate and a zoo.
ZooShepreth Wildlife Park3.4 km outside town, to the southeastHistoric siteHistoric siteEnglish Electric Canberra WJ8214.4 km outside town, to the southwestAttractionAttractionWimpole's Folly2.8 km outside town, to the northwestEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Where to go
At the edge of the map sits English Electric Canberra WJ821, 5 km out.
The dashed line is Orwell’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
Sorted by kind
Castles or historic places are the biggest group (2), then other attractions (2).
Green: inside Orwell. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
3 places are cared for by the National Trust (Wimpole Hall, Wimpole Estate and Home Farm).
Near Orwell
You will find all 6 within 5 km of its edge.
Close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
51 listed buildings are on Orwell’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Orwell →
Further afield
Head 12 km out for Fitzwilliam Museum, the best known of 12.
MuseumIWM Duxford11 km southeast · 401K visitors a year (2019)
CathedralEly Cathedral35 km northeast
MuseumMuseum of Zoology12 km northeast · 139K visitors a year (2023)
GardenCambridge University Botanic Garden12 km northeast
Historic house · English HeritageAudley End House20 km southeast
CastleCambridge Castle12 km northeast
CastleKimbolton Castle31 km northwest
Art galleryKettle's Yard Gallery12 km northeast
MuseumWhipple Museum of the History Of Science12 km northeast
CastleSaffron Walden Castle21 km southeast
FortBuckden Towers24 km northwestPlaces well known beyond Orwell (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Orwell: questions and answers
What is there to see near Orwell?
No attraction is mapped inside Orwell itself. Within 5 km of it are Wimpole Hall, Wimpole Estate, Home Farm and Shepreth Wildlife Park.
Does Orwell have a museum?
No museum or gallery is mapped in or within 5 km of Orwell.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Orwell?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Orwell, 3 places are cared for by the National Trust (Wimpole Hall, Wimpole Estate and Home Farm).
What are the best-known days out near Orwell?
Within 40 km: Fitzwilliam Museum (12 km), IWM Duxford (11 km), Ely Cathedral (35 km), Museum of Zoology (12 km).
Where are Orwell’s historic buildings listed?
Orwell has 51 listed buildings, 1 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Orwell when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (12)
- Shepreth Wildlife Park: Peter Trimming, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- IWM Duxford: IxK85, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ely Cathedral: Bs0u10e01, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Zoology: Magnus Manske, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cambridge University Botanic Garden: temporalata, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Audley End House: Tilman2007, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cambridge Castle: Samuel Buck / Nathaniel Buck, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kimbolton Castle: Graham Taylor, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kettle's Yard Gallery: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Whipple Museum of the History Of Science: Spudgun67, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saffron Walden Castle: Janine Forbes, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Buckden Towers: Robert Edwards, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.